Incumbent Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García was able to fend off a primary challenge from Chicago Ald. Ray Lopez in Illinois’ 4th Congressional district, the Associated Press projects.
García, first elected to Congress in 2018, faced a primary challenge for the first time since he entered that race, but defeated Lopez and most likely secured his seat in Congress for a new term, as there were no Republican candidates who appeared in the ballot in this year’s primary.
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García was elected to Congress in 2018 after former Rep. Luis Gutierrez opted not to seek reelection. He defeated Sol Flores in the Democratic primary that year and defeated Mark Wayne Lorch for the open seat in the general election.
Prior to his service in Congress, García held positions on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, in the Illinois Senate and on the Chicago City Council.
He launched his way into Chicago’s political landscape in 2015 when he was defeated in the mayoral runoff by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
For the first time since 2018, García faced a primary challenge, with Lopez running a more moderate campaign than his opponent. Lopez differed from García on several key issues, including an immigration bill championed by the Senate that the Congressman had opposed. Lopez also called for changes to Chicago’s “sanctuary city” laws and voted against a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
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Lopez has represented the City Council’s 15th ward since 2015, having secured reelection in 2023. He was a heated critic of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot and has frequently sparred with incumbent Mayor Brandon Johnson.
He had been poised to run against Johnson and Lightfoot in 2023, but dropped out of the race in Nov. 2022 to run for reelection to the City Council.
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